Method of orienting bodies in magnetic field and device for carrying same into effect

ABSTRACT

A method of orienting electrically conductive bodies made preferably of non-magnetic materials. A non-uniform constant magnetic field is created in an orientation zone, the bodies to be oriented being moved into such zone. This is attained by means of a permanent magnet provided with pole pieces whose shape and arrangement insure the required non-uniformity of the magnetic field within the orientation zone created thereby. The same constant field which induces currents in the bodies reacts with such currents to orient the bodies.

I United States Patent 9 tom et a1.

[ 1 Dec. 10, 1974 METHOD OF ORIENTING BODIES IN MAGNETIC FIELD AND DEVICE FOR I CARRYING SAME INTO EFFECT [76] Inventors: Benyamin Alexandrovich Ioffe,

ulitsa Raunas 45/2, kv. 81, Riga; Artur Eduardovich Mikelson, ulitsa Kr. Barona, 78, kv. l, Latvii'skaya; Igor Mikhailovich Kirko, ulitsa Miera, 16, kv. 36, Riga, all of U.S.S.R.

[22] Filed: Feb. 28, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 230,057

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 884,790, Dec. 15, 1969,

abandoned.

52 U.S.Cl. .L ..335/302,335/219,335/229 51 Int.Cl. ..I-I01f7/02 58 Field ofSearch 335/250, 229,219, 302

['56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,400,869 5/1946 Lovell 335/250 3,054,026, 9/1962 Lovell ..1 335/250 3,651,439 3/1972 Ioffe et al. 335/219 X 3,662,302 5/1972 loffe et a1. 335/219 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 215,172 9/1941 Switzerland 335/302 181,481 .9/1966 U.S.S.R 335/229 Primary ExaminerJ. D. Miller Assistant ExaminerFred E. Bell Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen I [5 7] A ABSTRACT A method of orienting electrically conductive bodies made preferably of non-magnetic materials. A nonuniform constant magnetic field is created in an orientation zone, the bodies to be oriented being moved into such zone. This is attained by means of a permanent magnet provided with pole pieces whose shape and arrangement insure the required non-uniformity of the magnetic field within the orientation zone created thereby. The same constant field which induces currents in the bodies reacts with such currents to 0rient the bodies.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEL DEC I 01974 SHEEI 2 BF 3,

PATENTEB BEE] 0 I974 SHEET 30F 3 FIG.4

Thus application is a continuation of application 884,790 filed, Dec. 15, 1969 now abandoned.

The present invention relates to automation of manufacturing processes and more particularly to methods of orienting electrically conductive bodies made preferably of non-magnetic materials.

Known in the art are methods of orienting bodies of magnetic materials with the age of a constant magnetic field, such methods being based on the interaction between the constant magnetic field and bodies magne tized thereby.

The conventional type of method known heretofore istherefore applicable only for orienting bodies that are susceptible to magnetization such as for example ferromagnetic bodies.

A serious disadvantage of type of method resides in its being inapplicable to many electrically conductive parts which do not feature ferromagnetic properties such as various electric contacts, clockwork parts, commutator segments and other structural items widely used in engineering.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate said disadvantage. More particularly, an object of the,

present invention is to provide a method'of orienting bodies in a magnetic field which will make it possible to orient electrically conductive bodies that do not feature ferromagnetic properties, andto provide a device for implementing such method.

Said object is accomplished due to the fact that according to the method of the invention a non-uniform constant magnetic field is created in an orientation zone, in which field bodies to be oriented are positively displaced. The orientation may be effected in the process of free fall of the bodies within the orientation zone.

It is preferred, that the device for orienting electrically conductive non-magnetic bodies be made as a permanent magnet with pole pieces whose shape and arrangement insure the required non-uniformity of the magnetic field within the orientation zone produced thereby.

It is desirable that the pole pieces be arranged one above the other and be provided with openings, the bodies supplied into the orientation zone being fed into one of said openings. It is preferred that the pole pieces be made wedge-shaped, the vertices of the wedges facing the bodies to be oriented as they are supplied into the orientation zone.

On the basis of the method proposed herein devices may be provided for orienting many diverse electrically conductive non-magnetic parts.

Such devices feature great universality. Each such device is capable of orienting objects of various overall dimensions and configurations, made of different electrically conductive materials. Moreover, these devices can simultaneously perform sorting and rejecting operations.

For better understanding of the essence of the present invention, a detailed description of a few embodiments thereof is considered hereinbelow with due reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows a device for orienting bodies in the magnetic field of a permanent magnet 2 with openings in the pole pieces, according to the invention;

FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows the same with wedgeshaped pole pieces; and

FIG. 3 is a section of the same taken along line III- IlIof FIG. 2.

The device of the invention (FIG. I) is essentially a horseshoe magnet 1 whose poles 2 and 3 have openings 4 and 5 arranged coaxially to each other, an orientation zone being disposed between the poles above the lower opening 5. Due to the chosen configuration of the pole pieces and their mutual arrangement, a magnetic field is created within this zone, featuring a highly pronounced non-uniformity.

Arranged above the upper opening 4 is a chute 6 for feeding bodies 7, 8 into the orientation zone.

Provided in the bottom portion of the orientation zone is a chute 9 for the receiving and discharge of the oriented bodies 7, 8. t

The device operates in the following way.

Bodies 7, 8 to be oriented are fed along the chute 6 into the orientation zone wherein due to the magnetic field interaction with currents induced thereby in the bodies 7, 8, said bodies become precisely oriented. The bodies of the type 7, having a closed contour, are ori ented perpendicularly to the bodies of the type 8 that have an open contour.

It should be noted that the sharply pronounced nonuniform magnetic field within the orientation zone is required not only for insuring induction of currentsin the bodies to be oriented that move along the magnetic field, as is the case in the devicebeing considered, but also the same field is used for the intensity of currents induced in different portions of the body which occupies a non-oriented position to be different, this being a necessary condition for creating a moment of electrodynamic forces that orient the body.

The device shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is designed for orienting bodies asymmetrical as to their electric conductance. This device is essentially a horse-shoe magnet 10 with wedge-shaped poles ll, 12, the orientation zone being provided therebetween, the vertices of the wedge-shaped poles facing bodies l3, l4 fed along a chute 15 into the orientation zone.

The chute 15 within the orientation zone branches into two chutes l6, 17 (FIG. 3) that are disposed at an angle corresponding to that of the wedge-shaped poles.

The device of FIGS. 2, 3 operates in the following way;

The bodies l3, 14 to be oriented are fed along the chute 15 to the orientation zone where currents are induced in them in the course of travel in the nonuniform magnetic field, said currents interacting with the said magnetic field. This interaction results in the moment of forces that causes the bodies to be oriented so as to assume a definite position, in which position the bodies are discharged via the chutes l6, 17. The direction of the moment of forces that orients the body is determined by the initial position thereof occupied in the process of the bodys being fed into the orientation zone whereby the bodies are turned towards those portions that feature greater electric conductance. Thus the bodies 13 after the orientation pass into the chute l6, and thebodies 14, into the chute 17, since the bodies l3, 14 are caps in which the conductance of the por- 7 tion adjacent to the bottom is greater than that of the portion adjacent to the open end.

What is claimed is: 1. A method comprising creating a magnetic field in an orientation zone, orienting bodies by passing the same through said magnetic field, said magnetic field being created as a non-uniform permanent magnetic field in an orientation zone to induce currents in each a body during the movement thereof through said field and such that the values of said currents in each body in unoriented positions thereof are different at different points and such that said currents have a symmetrical distribution pattern only in an oriented position corresponding to a stable position of each of as it moves further in the magnetic field, using the same permanent magnetic field for inducing current in each said body and interacting with the thusly induced current to orient the body in which the current is induced.

2. A device for orienting bodies in a magnetic field, said device comprising a permanent magnet including pole pieces, the configuration and location of said pole pieces being such as to insure the creation of a nonuniform magnetic field in an orientation zone defined by the pole pieces to induce currents in a body in said zone which'interact with the magnetic field to produce a moment of forces capable of turning the body to a position corresponding to a stable position of such body during a free fall said pole pieces being disposed one above the other, said pole pieces being provided with openings through one of which said bodies are fed into said orientation zone which is located between the openings, the distance between said openings being such as to create a non-uniform field having an inner funnel-shaped region with a base which is the opening of the upper pole piece and with a top located between the pole pieces, said pole pieces being so constituted that the field intensity increases from the center of the funnel shaped region to the periphery thereof.

3. A device for orienting bodies in a magnetic field, said device comprising a permanent magnet including pole pieces, the configuration and location of said pole pieces being such as to insure the creation of a nonuniform magnetic field in an orientation zone defined by the pole pieces to induce currents in a body in said zone which interact with the magnetic field to produce a moment of forces capable of turning the body to a position corresponding to a stable position of such body during a free fall the pole pieces being disposed one above the other and having the shape of wedges having pointed ends facing the bodies to be oriented, said the further comprising chutes for the bodies located between the poles along the generatrices of the wedges,

each of the chutes including successive branches disposed at an angle related to the turning angle of the bodies being oriented, said turning angle depending on the thickness or the electrical conductivity of the bod- 

1. A method comprising creating a magnetic field in an orientation zone, orienting bodies by passing the same through said magnetic field, said magnetic field being created as a nonuniform permanent magnetic field In an orientation zone to induce currents in each a body during the movement thereof through said field and such that the values of said currents in each body in unoriented positions thereof are different at different points and such that said currents have a symmetrical distribution pattern only in an oriented position corresponding to a stable position of each of as it moves further in the magnetic field, using the same permanent magnetic field for inducing current in each said body and interacting with the thusly induced current to orient the body in which the current is induced.
 2. A device for orienting bodies in a magnetic field, said device comprising a permanent magnet including pole pieces, the configuration and location of said pole pieces being such as to insure the creation of a non-uniform magnetic field in an orientation zone defined by the pole pieces to induce currents in a body in said zone which interact with the magnetic field to produce a moment of forces capable of turning the body to a position corresponding to a stable position of such body during a free fall said pole pieces being disposed one above the other, said pole pieces being provided with openings through one of which said bodies are fed into said orientation zone which is located between the openings, the distance between said openings being such as to create a non-uniform field having an inner funnel-shaped region with a base which is the opening of the upper pole piece and with a top located between the pole pieces, said pole pieces being so constituted that the field intensity increases from the center of the funnel shaped region to the periphery thereof.
 3. A device for orienting bodies in a magnetic field, said device comprising a permanent magnet including pole pieces, the configuration and location of said pole pieces being such as to insure the creation of a non-uniform magnetic field in an orientation zone defined by the pole pieces to induce currents in a body in said zone which interact with the magnetic field to produce a moment of forces capable of turning the body to a position corresponding to a stable position of such body during a free fall the pole pieces being disposed one above the other and having the shape of wedges having pointed ends facing the bodies to be oriented, said the further comprising chutes for the bodies located between the poles along the generatrices of the wedges, each of the chutes including successive branches disposed at an angle related to the turning angle of the bodies being oriented, said turning angle depending on the thickness or the electrical conductivity of the bodies. 